History and Details.
I. The chief authorities for the architectural history of Worcester
Cathedral are--the Chronicle of Florence of Worcester, and the _Annales
Ecclesiæ Wygorniensis_, compiled by a monk of Worcester at the beginning
of the fourteenth century[59]. From these it appears that in the year
1084 Bishop WULFSTAN “began the work of the Minster;” into which the
monks entered four years afterwards; and in 1092 Wulfstan held a synod
in the crypt, which he had “built from the foundations, and by the mercy
of God had dedicated[60].” Wulfstan died in 1095. In 1113 the city of
Worcester, with the cathedral church and the castle, were greatly
injured by fire. In 1175 the “new tower”--probably the central tower of
the cathedral--fell, as many other Norman towers had fallen; and in 1189
another great fire destroyed nearly the whole of Worcester. On this
occasion the cathedral escaped; but in 1202, at Eastertide, it was
burnt, (_igne conflagravit alieno_,) together with all the buildings and
offices attached to it. During the whole of the year before, however,
great miracles had been manifested at the tomb of St. Wulfstan, and many
sick persons were said to be cured there daily. Accordingly, on St.
Giles’s Day, (Sept. 1,) 1202, Hubert Walter, Archbishop of Canterbury,
came to Worcester with other bishops to enquire into the truth of the
reported miracles. Certain monks of Worcester took his favourable
judgment to Rome; and in the following year, 1203, St. Wulfstan was
canonized by Pope Innocent III., who so far honoured the new English
saint as to compose a prayer for his Office.
From this time offerings poured in daily at the tomb of St. Wulfstan;
and it was no doubt with the wealth thus acquired by the monastery that
the cathedral was restored. In 1207 King John visited Worcester; and
after praying at Wulfstan’s tomb, gave three hundred marks for the
repair of the cathedral. He was interred in the church in the year 1216,
(see § IX.); and in 1218 the cathedral was dedicated “in honour of the
Blessed Virgin and St. Peter, and of the holy confessors Oswald and
Wulfstan.” The young King, Henry III., was present, with a great company
of bishops, abbots, and nobles; and after the dedication the body of St.
Wulfstan was translated to its shrine near the high altar.
The cathedral, up to this period, had been a Norman and transition
Norman building. In 1221, on St. Andrew’s Day, during a great storm, the
two “lesser towers” of Worcester fell. There is no evidence that the
Norman nave terminated in western towers; and Professor Willis has
suggested that these “lesser towers” may have flanked the Norman choir
of Worcester, like those still remaining at Canterbury. Their fall may
have injured the choir, and the ruin thus effected may have assisted the
determination of the Bishop and Convent to expend the wealth which was
still pouring in before the shrine of St. Wulfstan, in the erection of a
more sumptuous church. At any rate, in 1224 the existing choir and
Lady-chapel were begun; Bishop William of Blois laying the foundations
of the new work of the east front; (_novum opus frontis_[61]). In 1281
the sacrist of the monastery received from the executors of Nicholas of
Ely, Bishop of Winchester, a sum of sixty marks, the Bishop’s legacy
toward the “rebuilding of the tower,”--no doubt the central tower of the
cathedral,--which was not, however, effected for nearly a century,
(1374). In the meantime, the Norman nave was partly removed and rebuilt.
Bishop Cobham vaulted the north aisle of the nave between 1317 and 1321;
and in 1377 Bishop Wakefield vaulted the nave itself.
II. These dates will assist us in examining the existing cathedral. Of
ST. WULFSTAN’s Church, begun as we have seen, in 1084, the crypt, which
extends at present under the choir and aisles, is the only certain
relic. But portions of Norman work, belonging, according to Willis, to
the first three quarters of the twelfth century, remain in the nave, at
the western end of the choir, and in the walls of the great transept.
The two westernmost bays of the nave are transition Norman, and there is
Norman work of the same period (the last quarter of the twelfth century)
in the great transept.
The choir, retro-choir, and Lady-chapel, with the choir-aisles and the
eastern transepts, are _Early English_, and were commenced in 1224. The
nave, with the exception of the two western bays, is of later date,
_Decorated_, (1317-1327,) on the north side; and Decorated with a strong
tendency to Perpendicular (_circ._ 1360?) on the south. The central
tower is also Decorated, and was no doubt the tower for which the
legacy of Bishop Nicholas of Winchester (1281) was intended. The
cloisters are Perpendicular.
The _Early English_ portion of the cathedral (the whole of the church
east of the central tower) is by far the most interesting, and affords
some very good examples of design and sculpture. On the whole, however,
although the entire building deserves, and will repay, careful
examination, it can hardly be said to rank among English churches of the
first class. The Norman cathedral, which covered nearly the same ground
as that which now exists, terminated eastward (as appears from the
crypt, § XXII.) in a broad apse, with small apsidal chapels attached at
the sides. The ground-plan of the existing building forms a double or
patriarchal cross[62], with a square eastern end. The whole north front
of the cathedral is seen at once as the Close is entered from the
High-street; but although the length (450 ft.) and general mass are
imposing, the view is hardly picturesque [_Frontispiece_]. The transepts
do not project far enough to break the long line satisfactorily, and
the whole work of the exterior (including the central tower) is
unusually plain. This view has, however, been greatly improved by the
recent (1865) lowering of the ground on the north side of the church
(including St. Michael’s churchyard) to the depth of at least four feet.
No good general point of view can be obtained on the south side of the
cathedral.
Since the year 1857 very extensive works, amounting in fact to a
rebuilding of much of the eastern portion of the church, have been
carried on under the superintendence of Mr. A. E. Perkins, architect to
the Dean and Chapter. These will be pointed out as we proceed. It may be
said here, however, that besides the great desecration and injury which
the building suffered from the troops of Essex in 1642, and again from
Cromwell’s soldiers after the battle of Worcester in 1651, it underwent
much unfortunate “restoration” during the eighteenth century. Much of
the work then done it was desirable to remove; and the condition of the
stone in many parts of the cathedral was such as to render extensive
repair absolutely necessary[63]. The stone used by the Norman and Early
English builders was from the Higley quarries, near Bridgenorth; these
quarries are in the sandstone; as are those at Holt, which were used by
the builders of the Perpendicular period. For the repairs and rebuilding
(1857-1863) stone has been brought from Ombersley, near Droitwich.
III. The entrance in the west front of the cathedral is said to have
been closed by Bishop WAKEFIELD, (1375-1395); who re-opened the original
north entrance, which had been closed, and built the present _north
porch_, through which we enter the cathedral. This is plain and of
little interest. The details of the original composition, which had been
much mutilated by injudicious repairs, have been carefully restored
under the direction of Mr. Perkins; and the lowering of the ground on
this side of the cathedral has permitted the removal of a flight of
steps, within the porch, which formerly descended to the level of the
nave. The roof is groined.
IV. The _nave_ (which has undergone, 1863-1865, a complete restoration,
externally and internally), is of nine bays, from the west front to the
central tower. It covers the same ground as the original Norman nave,
portions of which remain--at the north-east angle of the north aisle, (a
shaft and capital); on the west side of the outer face of the north
door, (a shaft and capital); and in the centre of the second piers from
the west, from both of which great Norman shafts project. There is also
a series of Norman arched recesses in the south aisle[64]. All these
fragments are pure Norman, and belong to the first three quarters of the
eleventh century. The two western bays are transition Norman, of the
last quarter of the century, and remain in their original state.
The piers of the two western bays are recessed in three orders, and,
together with the pointed arches that rest on them, have more Early
English feeling than Norman. The capitals of the shafts are of plain
Norman character. The _triforium_ is very peculiar. A pointed arch (of
which there are two in each bay) encloses three circular ones. Between
and beyond these inner arches rise reeded shafts, from the capitals of
which springs a zigzag moulding, repeating, in the tympana, the forms
of the circular arches. Below and above the zigzag are placed knots of
curled leafage, giving a dotted appearance to the whole composition,
which has neither the dignity of the earlier Norman nor the grace of the
Decorated work east of it. The clerestory has three arches in each bay;
the central arch round, with the zigzag moulding, and much higher than
the pointed side arches. The window openings, at the back of the central
arch, are filled with Perpendicular tracery. “In the pier arches and
triforium arches a plain round molding is employed, which runs without a
base up the pier, and continuously over the arch, forming an external
order or frame to it. A similar molding in front of this runs by the
side of a triple group of vaulting-shafts up to the clerestory string,
but is there cut off by the later vaulting-shafts.... Continuous
moldings are in Norman work usually confined to the inner arches of
doors and to windows. But I have observed the molding just described, as
framing a group of shafted pier arches, in several cases in the west of
England--as at Gloucester, the north side aisle of the choir at
Lichfield, and at Bredon Church, near Worcester--the latter evidently
the work of the architect of the western compartments of the
cathedral[65].” The clustered vaulting-shafts terminate in capitals of
transitional character, at the base of the clerestory. The vaulting
itself is of the same apparent character (Perpendicular) as that
eastward of these two bays; but Professor Willis has shewn that it must
have been erected before (though perhaps not much before) the vaulting
of the rest of the nave[66].
The west end of the nave was entirely altered by Bishop WAKEFIELD,
(1375-1395). He closed the western entrance; but the pointed arch, with
a circular arch on either side, which, until the late restoration, were
seen on the wall below the window, dated only from the last century.
Traces of Norman doors, however, were discovered by Mr. Perkins at the
ends of the aisles and in the central wall; proving that Bishop
Wakefield retained the original wall, and shewing us the extent of the
Norman nave. The space above the arches was entirely filled by a large
debased window, the glass in which was inserted in 1792. This window has
been happily replaced (1865) by an Early Decorated window of eight
lights, of the same architectural character as the Decorated work on the
north side of the nave, and equally enriched. (It is the gift of the
Hon. and Rev. John Fortescue, Canon of Worcester.) The Norman portal
beneath this window, the jambs of which were quite perfect, has been
opened.
Beyond the two western bays the nave is Decorated on the north side, and
early Perpendicular on the south, and the main arches rise much higher.
The two sides differ in the capitals and bases of their piers, in the
capitals of the vaulting-shafts, in the clerestory arches, and in the
ornamentation of the triforium. The north side, which is the earlier, is
also the richer.
Leland asserts that Bishop COBHAM (1317-1327) vaulted the north aisle of
the nave. This fixes the date of the Decorated work on the north side.
The bases of the piers differ from those opposite, and the capitals of
the shafts are enriched with excellent leafage, much undercut. This
“runs continuously round the pier, being inflected around the shafts, so
as to distinguish the groups without separating them, and with the
richest effect.” At the angles of the exterior hood-mouldings are small
heads of kings and bishops. The triforium has two pointed arches in each
bay, each arch enclosing two smaller ones. The shafts which support
these arches have capitals of leafage, and the tympana in the heads of
the larger arches are filled with sculptured figures. These, before the
late restoration, were so greatly decayed as to be quite undecipherable.
They have been re-worked as carefully as possible, but in most instances
the original subject was completely uncertain. The clerestory consists
of three pointed arches, with leafage on the capitals of the shafts, and
at the angles of the outer mouldings. The windows at the back are
Perpendicular insertions. Professor Willis has been the first to point
out that the triforium and clerestory of the two bays adjoining the
transition Norman work on this side of the nave, differ from the rest,
and are in fact Perpendicular, of the same character as the entire south
side. “We may conclude, therefore, that the north side of the Norman
nave was taken down first, and that when the portion in the Decorated
style had been completed, a pause in the work or a change of architects
happened, and the triforium and clerestory of these bays were then
completed in a different style[67].”
The vaulting-shafts run upward between each bay in groups of three. The
abacus from which the groining-ribs apparently spring, is partly a
continuation of the stringcourse at the base of the clerestory, and is
gracefully trefoiled.
The whole work on the north side of the nave is bolder and more
effective than that on the _south_. We have no record of the
construction of this side, but from its strong Perpendicular character
it can hardly be earlier than 1360. The clustered pier-shafts have much
smaller capitals of leafage than those opposite, and the leafage does
not pass round continuously. The design of the triforium resembles that
on the north side; but at the junction of the two smaller arches is a
bracket, once no doubt the support of a figure which rose against the
tympanum of the larger arch. All traces of these figures, however, had
disappeared, and they have been replaced by modern sculpture, executed
by BOULTON, under the direction of the architect. Small ancient figures
remain at the sides and intersections of the larger arches.
The clerestory is formed by three triangular-headed arches, of which the
centre arch, much higher and wider than the other two, follows nearly
the lines of the groining rib. The window at the back of the passage is
filled with tracery of Decorated character. The triangular form, which
is by no means usual, is that which prevails in the north transept of
Hereford, (see the Handbook for that Cathedral,) built at the end of the
thirteenth century for the reception of the shrine of St. Thomas
Cantilupe.
The groined vaulting of the nave--the work of Bishop Wakefield in
1377--has ridge and intermediate ribs, with bosses of foliage at the
intersections. The nave, which was covered with whitewash by the
“restorers” of the last century, has been thoroughly cleaned; and the
rich foliage of its capitals is now properly displayed. The present
flooring of the nave was laid down in 1748.
On the north side of the nave, in the fourth bay from the east, is the
high tomb, with effigies, of SIR JOHN BEAUCHAMP, of Holt, in
Worcestershire, (died 1388,) and his wife. The effigies, which are in
alabaster, have been terribly defaced. The knight’s armour is a good
example. The lady’s head rests on a swan with expanded wings--the crest
of the Beauchamps. The panels of the tomb itself are filled with shields
of arms. Immediately opposite, on the south side of the nave, is the
tomb, with effigies, of ROBERT WILDE (died 1608) and his wife. His body
rests in this cathedral, but his immortal part--
“Fœlices rapuere animæ, heroesque beati,
Illud ad æternas, Elysiasque domos.”
The sides of the tomb, divided into compartments by sun-flowers rising
from vases, and the scroll-work at the lower end, deserve notice.
On the south side of the nave, toward the west, is the canopied tomb,
with effigy, of RICHARD EEDES, Dean of Worcester, (died 1608). The Dean
is represented with moustache and beard, skull-cap, ruff, and gown open
in front, with hanging sleeves. Opposite, on the north side, is the
tomb, with effigy, of Bishop THORNBOROUGH, died 1641,--the latest
recumbent effigy of a bishop in the cathedral: he wears the rochet and
chimere with full sleeves.
V. The two western bays of the _south aisle_ of the nave are _transition
Norman_, like the western bays of the nave. The vaulting is
quadripartite. The rest of the aisle has late Decorated windows, filled
with a kind of flowing tracery, high in the wall, on account of the
cloister which runs outside; and into which there are two plainly-arched
entrances--the prior’s door in the bay nearest the transept, and the
monks’ door in the third bay from the west end. The vaulting of this
part of the aisle is lierne.
The wall of this aisle is, however, that of the Norman nave, as is
proved by a series of five Norman arched recesses, one opposite to each
of the present pier-arches. “Two of these at the east end are filled up
with monumental arches of the period of the present south architecture
of the nave. This is enough to shew that the semicircular arches existed
previously.... They were probably meant to receive the monumental arches
of distinguished persons, in the same way as at Hereford[68].”
The monuments in the south aisle are--in the second bay
from the transept, the much mutilated effigy of an unknown
ecclesiastic,--probably one of the priors of the monastery, represented
as vested for the eucharistic office,--under a canopied recess. The
date, according to Mr. Bloxam, is late in the fourteenth or early in the
fifteenth century. In the third bay, within a Decorated recess, is the
effigy of Bishop PARRY, (1610-1616,) “wearing the rochet and the
chimere, the latter reaching a little below the knees;” in the fourth is
a Perpendicular altar-tomb, with panelled front, of some unknown
personage; in the fifth is the tomb of THOMAS LITTLETON, Judge of the
Court of Common Pleas, died Aug. 23, 1481. The brass, which represented
him in his robes as Judge, was destroyed in the civil wars of the
seventeenth century. This is the celebrated Judge whose treatise on land
tenures was commented on by Sir Edward Coke in the reign of James I.,
and has still, in Fuller’s words, an “authentical reputation.” Littleton
was born at Frankley in Worcestershire, and was in great favour with
both Henry VI. and Edward IV. The Lords Lyttelton, of Hagley, are
descended from this family. In the sixth bay is an altar-tomb in a
recess for Bishop FREKE, (1584-1591,) with inscriptions in Greek, Latin,
and English. In the two last bays are mural monuments, both by BACON,
for SIR HENRY ELLIS, Colonel of the 23rd Regt., (Welsh Fusileers,) who
fell at Waterloo; and for RICHARD SOLLY, Esq., (died 1804); neither of
which deserve much notice. In the westernmost bay has been placed the
monument of Bishop GAUDEN, (died 1662,) the probable author of the
_Icon Basilike_. His effigy represents him with long hair, moustache,
and beard, wearing the rochet and chimere. This monument was formerly
against the wall on the north side of the choir, which has been removed.
(See § VII.)
The two western bays of the _north aisle_ are transition Norman, like
those opposite; but the Decorated vaulting (plain quadripartite, with
bosses) is carried throughout the aisle, and was the work of Bishop
Cobham between 1317 and 1321. The rest of the aisle, including the
windows, is Decorated. The west window contains some portions of ancient
glass; but is chiefly filled with modern glass of the worst description.
In the first bay counting from the west is a monument by WESTMACOTT for
the EARL OF STRAFFORD, and the officers and men of the 29th
(Worcestershire) Regiment, who fell in the Indian campaigns of 1845-6.
Unlike most memorials of this class, it possesses a little religious
character. In the second bay is a monument for the wife of GODFREY
GOLDSBOROUGH, Bishop of Gloucester, (died 1613). In the third bay is a
monument with small kneeling figures for the MOORE family, of Worcester;
date 1613.
The north porch opens from the fifth bay. From the eighth a small
Decorated chapel, called the _Jesus chapel_, is entered; which was
opened to the nave, as it now is, about 1750, when a new and singularly
hideous font was placed in it. The Decorated window on the north side
has been filled with stained glass by WAILES, as a memorial for the wife
of the Rev. CANON WOOD. The east window of the chapel has been closed.
Against the walls are tablets for Bishop FLEETWOOD, (died 1683); for
Bishop BLANDFORD, (died 1675); and for Bishop BULLINGHAM, (died 1576).
The upper and lower portions only of the effigy appear, the intervening
wall and inscription dividing them. (Similar monuments exist at
Lichfield and elsewhere.) “The dress is not very clearly developed, but
it certainly does not appear to have consisted of the episcopal robes.
Perhaps he was one interested in the vestiarian controversy of
1564[69].” This monument was removed from the choir wall. (See § VII.)
VI. The piers of the _central tower_ are Decorated, with small capitals
of leafage, of the same date and character as the south side of the
nave. It is certain, however, that a core of Norman masonry remains
within them, since Norman work is visible on the choir side of the
eastern piers, (see § VII.,) in the roof of the triforium of the choir,
and at the south corner of the east end of the north triforium of the
nave. The vaulting resembles that of the nave.
The _great transept_ has undergone much alteration. The walls, as high
as the level of the clerestory, are Norman; and, as appeared when they
were stripped of their plaster, are built of “uncoursed rubble work,
roughly laid with wide joints of mortar[70].” They may belong to the
first Norman church; but after the fall of the great tower in 1175 many
repairs and changes were made, to which the Norman work now apparent
evidently belongs. Further alterations were made in the thirteenth, and
again (perhaps by Bishop WAKEFIELD, died 1395) in the latter part of the
fourteenth century. The transept, like the rest of the church, is narrow
(32 feet) in proportion to its height (66 feet), and projects only 28
feet beyond the aisle wall. Like the transept at Gloucester, it is
without aisles. The circular staircase-turrets which project into the
transept at the north-west and south-west angles are peculiar, and are
far more decided features than those at Gloucester (see the Handbook for
that Cathedral) in the same situations. These are Norman as high as the
clerestory, where the change to Perpendicular is marked by a difference
of masonry. The masonry of the Norman portion is unusually good, and
should be noticed. The scraping of the walls of these towers “disclosed
the fact that they are built of stones of two colours, the one a white
or rather cream-coloured stone, the other a green stone. These are laid
in bands at the lower part, not regularly; but above the doorway the
courses are for a short distance alternately white and green in
horizontal stripes, after the manner of the cathedrals of Pisa, Siena,
and other Italian examples of the eleventh and twelfth centuries[71].”
The transition Norman work at the west end of the nave, and the
chapter-house, also display this particoloured masonry.
In the _south transept_, the south end has three divisions. The lowest
is plain, and shews the Norman wall. In the second are two transition
Norman window-arches, now closed. The capitals of the side shafts are of
Early English character, and the arches have a broad hollow zigzag
moulding. In the uppermost division is a fine three-light lancet window,
deeply splayed, and with a passage through the jambs. This has been
filled with stained glass, which can hardly be called good, by ROGERS,
from designs by PREEDY, as a memorial of QUEEN ADELAIDE. The subject is
a tree of Jesse. On the east side of the transept the arch into the
choir-aisle is Decorated; and in the adjoining bay a very fine Norman
arch, long closed, opens to an eastern chapel. This archway was
re-opened in 1862, and through it a very picturesque view is obtained of
the chapel beyond. The bays on this side of the transept are divided by
a group of transition Norman vaulting-shafts, which terminate at the
level of the clerestory, and support later groining.
The east and west walls of this transept were altered in the
Perpendicular period, in a manner which recalls the work in Gloucester
Cathedral, although the screen of tracery with which the Norman walls
have been overlaid is not so complete. On the east side this work begins
in the triforium, the openings in which are formed by a series of narrow
pierced panels, with transoms and foliated headings. As at Gloucester,
the wall behind this screen-work is Norman, and in the course of
restoration here the remains of the ancient triforium were discovered,
(1863). They are of transitional Norman character, much enriched. The
clerestory above is entirely Perpendicular. A pierced parapet runs along
at the base, and slender Perpendicular vaulting-shafts pass through both
the triforium and clerestory stages. The west wall has been overlaid
more completely with a Perpendicular screen-work, pierced for window
openings in all three stages. There is also a Perpendicular clerestory
window above the arch of the nave-aisle. Remains of two arches of the
Norman triforium have been found on this side of the transept. They are
plainer than those opposite, but may possibly be of the same date. The
vaulting of the transept is a plain lierne.
On the south side of this transept is a monument designed by ADAMS, and
executed by NOLLEKENS, for Bishop JOHNSON, (1759-1774). The bust is
fine. There is also a memorial of Bishop HURD, (1781-1808.)
In the east wall of the _north transept_ a Norman arch has been
discovered during the late restorations, occupying the same position as
that in the transept opposite, and of the same date. It now remains
open, to the thickness of the outer wall. The vaulting-shafts here are
Early English, banded, with capitals of Early English foliage. On the
north side was a modern Perpendicular window, which has been removed,
and replaced by a new window of early Decorated character. The east and
west walls have been overlaid with Perpendicular work in the same manner
as the opposite transept. The triforium panelling on the east side,
which had been built up, has been re-opened and restored. The
screen-work on the west wall is only pierced for a window in the
clerestory stage.
In this transept are monuments for--(north wall), Bishop STILLINGFLEET,
(1689-1699,) “jam tibi, quicumque hæc leges, nisi et Europæ et literati
orbis hospes es, ipse per se notus;” and (east wall), Bishop HOUGH,
(1717-1743,) by ROUBILIAC. A full-length effigy of the Bishop reclines
on the top of a sepulchre, upheld by a figure of Religion. The
inscription gives due praise to the “unbounded charity, the courteous
affability, and the engaging condescension” of the Bishop,--the
“ever-memorable President of Magdalen College, Oxford, who
providentially for this nation opposed the rage of Popish superstition
and tyranny.” A small bas-relief below the effigy represents the
President’s expulsion from Magdalen. There is also a tablet for Dean
HOOK, (died 1828,) brother of the more celebrated Theodore Hook.
VII. A flight of steps, rendered necessary by the elevation of the
crypt, which extends eastward from this point, ascends to the
_choir-screen_, between the two eastern piers of the tower; an atrocious
composition of lath and plaster, erected in 1812, and shortly, no doubt,
to be removed. Some of the small figures in the frieze were taken from
misereres in the choir, and will eventually be returned.
Passing beyond the screen, we enter the most interesting portion of the
cathedral. The whole building, east of the tower, is far richer and
better in detail than any part of the nave. The convent, in all
probability, was receiving larger sums from the pilgrims to the shrine
of St. Wulfstan during the thirteenth century, when the choir and the
parts connected with it were built, than during the fourteenth, when the
nave was erected. By that time the neighbouring churches of Hereford and
Gloucester had each their great shrine[72], which must have attracted
much of the wealth that would otherwise have found its way into the
treasury of Worcester.
Bishop William of Blois is recorded as having “begun the new work of the
front” in the year 1224. The plan of the new building involved a great
extension of the cathedral eastward. Beyond the site of the crypt, the
work was carried “to a length equal to double that of the Norman
presbytery, (exclusive of the probable Lady-chapel of the latter,) and
so adjusted as to place the central tower of the church exactly midway
between the east and west extremities of the entire building[73].”
Eastern transepts were also adopted. Professor Willis has been the first
to shew the order in which, in all probability, this new work was
erected. This is indicated by a difference in the moulding of the
vaulting-ribs. “The transverse vault-ribs of the side aisles and centre
of the work between the great tower and the small transepts (namely, the
present choir) have a hollow mold in their soffits; and this is also the
case
[Illustration: PART OF CHOIR AND LADY-CHAPEL.]
in those pier-arches of the work which have the dog-tooth. But the
transverse vault-ribs throughout the remainder of this work, namely, the
eastern transepts and Lady-chapel, have a projecting rib in their
soffit, corresponding to the moldings of their pier-arches[74].” “The
ribbed soffit, in fact, is confined to the portion of Early English work
which is founded upon the open ground of the cemetery, and was capable
of being erected complete, without disturbing any more of the existing
Norman presbytery than the circumscribing aisle and radiating chapels.
The hollow soffit, on the contrary, is used throughout the part of the
Early English work, which is based upon the walls of that portion of the
crypt which was allowed to remain. I conclude, therefore, that the
ribbed soffit-work was begun in 1224, and carried on without disabling
the Norman presbytery and the high altar; so that the services of the
Church continued in their original place, until the completion of this
first portion of the work made it necessary to pull down the Norman
presbytery, and erect the hollow soffit-work in its room, by which the
Early English structure was connected with the tower[75].”
The _choir_, [Plate I.,] like all the cathedral eastward of the tower,
has been restored under the direction of Mr. Perkins, architect to the
Dean and Chapter. (A design has (1866) been supplied by Mr. G. G. Scott,
for the stalls and fittings of the choir, a reredos and a western
screen, to be of metal and wood combined. This, it is hoped, may soon
be carried into execution.) The choir consists of five bays, the
easternmost of which, in a line with the eastern transepts, is
considerably wider than the others. The destruction of the Norman choir
was not complete; a portion of its walls was allowed to remain; and in
the present triforium, which extends over the aisles, Norman buttresses
exist, of the same character as those in the triforium of the two
western bays of the nave. Except at the southern surface of the north
wall of the choir, however, where it joins the tower, whatever Norman
masonry remained was entirely hidden by the rich Early English work of
the new choir. This has been compared to the Early English of Salisbury
Cathedral, begun in 1220, with which, no doubt, there is a certain
general resemblance. On the other hand, Lincoln Cathedral--probably the
first great Early English church built in England--was far advanced at
the death of St. Hugh in 1200; and there are some peculiarities at
Worcester--especially the ornamentation of the tympana in the triforium
arches, and the sculpture in the spandrils of the wall-arcades--which
strongly recall Lincoln. At any rate, Worcester Cathedral was one of the
earliest churches in England built in the new style, which, there is
much reason for believing, was invented by St. Hugh’s architect at
Lincoln.
The design first seen in the transition Norman portion of each bay of
the nave--one arch below, two in the triforium, and three in the
clerestory, (see § IV.)--was followed in this Early English work, as it
was in all the later portions of the cathedral. The octangular piers of
the choir have large shafts of Purbeck marble, alternating with white
stone; the Purbeck shafts ringed half way up. The shafts have foliaged
capitals; and the dog-tooth ornament is used (as at Salisbury) in the
mouldings of the main arches. The triforium in each bay consists of two
large arches, each enclosing two smaller, divided by a slender shaft,
with a plain capital of Purbeck. The groups of shafts between and at the
sides of the larger arches have capitals of leafage worked in oolite,
with Purbeck above. In the spandrils or tympana above the small central
shafts are sculptured figures. At the back of the outer triforium arches
is a wall, covered by an arcade with semi-detached shafts, so arranged
that the crowns of the arches are nearly on a level with the capitals of
the shafts in the main arcade. A very rich and intricate effect is thus
produced, which may be compared with that of the double arcades in the
choir-aisles of Lincoln Cathedral,--in all probability part of St.
Hugh’s work. The triforium passage itself, which extends over the
aisles, is shut out, by this arcaded wall, from the choir, which was no
doubt rendered much warmer by this arrangement. The clerestory has in
each bay three sharply-pointed arches; that in the centre being much
higher than the two others, with slender shafts and capitals of Purbeck
marble. The windows at the back, which had been filled with mean
Perpendicular tracery, have been restored to their original Early
English condition. A single vaulting-shaft of Purbeck rests on a
corbelled head at the intersection of the main arches, and terminates
in a capital of leafage at the base of the triforium. A second shaft
rises through the triforium stage, and terminates in a small capital at
the base of the clerestory. The vaulting itself is quadripartite, with
carved bosses.
The restoration of the choir, under Mr. Perkins, was begun in 1859. Much
of the stone-work was in so ruinous a condition that it was necessary to
replace it with new; but although the building has thus lost something
of its interest in the eyes of archæologists, it should here be said
that the repairs have been made with good judgment, and that no
unnecessary destruction of ancient work has taken place. Wherever it was
possible the old stone-work has been carefully cleaned, and is otherwise
untouched. This is the case with nearly all the leafage of the capitals,
which is unusually good and varied. The greater part of the figures in
the tympana of the triforium arches, however, were unfortunately
sculptured in the local stone, and had crumbled away so completely,
partly from the effects of time and partly perhaps before the matchlocks
of Cromwell’s troopers, that their subjects were hardly to be
deciphered. They have been restored, in accordance, as far as could be
ascertained, with the original design, by Boulton of Worcester, under
the direction of Mr. Perkins.
VIII. Evidences remain in the choir of earlier alterations and
additions. The piers adjoining the north-east transept had been thrown
greatly out of the perpendicular by the thrust of the arches. These
piers have now been reconstructed with the old materials in a sound
manner; and a wall pierced with quatrefoils, which had been built for
their support, between the two easternmost piers on the north side, has
been removed. The second pier from the organ, on the same side, also
appears to have shewn signs of weakness, and has been re-cased and
enlarged in Jacobean Gothic, with a curious base of masonry in the shape
of a tulip.
The _stone pulpit_, on the north side of the choir, was removed from the
west end of the nave about the middle of last century. It is late
Perpendicular work, with the emblems of the Evangelists placed on
truncated shafts in the panels. The sculpture at the back of the pulpit
apparently represents the Heavenly Jerusalem, with the Tree of Life in
the centre. The ancient stalls were partly destroyed by the Puritan
soldiery, the seats alone remaining. The present canopies date from the
reign of Charles II., but are of no great interest.
It is proposed to replace the present (modern) reredos by one of better
design and character; and to erect a low stone screen, allowing a view
into the transept beyond it, between the piers on the north side of the
altar.
In December, 1861, a leaden coffin, moulded to the shape of a body,
which had been enclosed in an outer coffin of wood, was discovered
beneath the flooring at the east end of the choir. It no doubt contained
the embalmed body of WILLIAM, fourth MARQUIS and second DUKE OF
HAMILTON, who was mortally wounded at the battle of Worcester in 1651,
and was interred here,--since his body was not allowed to be conveyed to
Scotland.
IX. The monuments of especial interest in the choir, are the tomb with
effigy of King John and the chantry of Prince Arthur.
The tomb of KING JOHN [_Title-page_] stands in the centre of the second
bay from the east, immediately before the step ascending to the
sanctuary. In 1797 a coffin with the remains of the King, was found
below the pavement. It is expressly said that King John was buried
between the shrines of SS. Oswald and Wulfstan, (see Pt. II. for short
notices of both saints,) and that a prophecy of Merlin (who is
constantly mentioned by the chroniclers of this period) was thereby
fulfilled:--“Et inter sanctos collocabitur.” The King was buried, it
must be remembered, in the Norman presbytery, the apse of which
terminated nearly in a line with the third piers (counting from the
east) of the existing choir. On the reconstruction of the choir and
presbytery by the Early English builders, the altar was removed to
nearly its present position, and the King’s coffin and tomb were also
carried eastward, so as to occupy the same position with respect to the
high altar and the shrines as they had done in the Norman Church. In
both the Norman and the Early English presbyteries the shrines of the
two saints “were deposited in front of the high altar, in the same
manner as St. Dunstan and St. Elfege in the cathedral of
Canterbury[76].” In either case the King might be said to have been laid
“between” them. King John died at Newark, October 19, 1216, commending
his body and soul to God, and to St. Wulfstan, the last great English
saint who had been canonized. His body, arrayed in royal apparel, was
accordingly conveyed to Worcester, where it was interred by the Bishop,
Silvester of Evesham[77].
The high tomb on which the King’s effigy rests is a work of the
sixteenth century, and was probably constructed when Prince Arthur’s
chantry was erected[78]. “The sides of the tomb are divided into three
square compartments by panelled buttresses; each compartment contains a
shield, bearing the royal arms, within a quatrefoil richly cusped; the
spandrels are also foliated and cusped. Though of no unusual design it
has a rich effect, and the base mouldings are numerous[79].” On this
tomb rests the effigy of King John, the earliest effigy of an English
monarch remaining in this country. It was no doubt originally the cover
of the stone coffin in which the King’s remains were discovered in 1797.
The effigy was evidently sculptured soon after the interment of the
King; and represents him in the regal habiliments. “First, the tunic,
yellow, or of cloth of gold, reaching nearly to the ancles, with
close-fitting sleeves, little of which is apparent. Over the tunic is
worn the dalmatic, or outer robe, of a crimson colour, with wide
sleeves, edged with a gold and jewelled border: this is girt about the
waist by a girdle, and buckled in front; the pendent end of the girdle,
which is jewelled, falling down to the skirt of the dalmatic. At the
back is worn the mantle; but little of this is visible. On the feet are
sandals, to the heels of which are affixed spurs. On the hands are
gloves, jewelled at the back; the right hand has held a sceptre, the
lower portion of which only is left; the left hand grasps the hilt of
the sword. On the head is worn the crown; the face has both the
moustache and beard, and the hair is long. On either side of the head is
the figure of a bishop holding a thurible or censer, perhaps intended to
represent St. Oswald and St. Wulfstan. Roger de Hoveden, in his Annals,
treating of the coronation of Richard I., enumerates the regal
vestments, and how worn, and his description may be applied to this
effigy. In the crown, in the mitres of the bishops, and on different
portions of the robes appear cavities for stones, paste, or glass,
imitative of jewels. The feet of the effigy rest against a lion, in
whose jaws the point of the sword is inserted[80].”
The coffin in which the King’s remains were discovered in 1797 (at the
beginning of some repairs in the cathedral) was found at the bottom of
the tomb, level with the pavement. It was cut out of Higley stone, and
only covered with two elm boards. “Part of the royal apparel was firm in
texture, but the colour was gone; part of the sword and leather sheath
were lying on the left side of the body, but much mouldered; the boots
on the feet were more perfect; part of one of the robes appeared to have
been embroidered: the head was covered with a close-fitting scull-cap,
which appeared to have been buckled under the chin. A quantity of a sort
of white paste, which lay in lumps, was, I think, the salt of which
Matthew Paris speaks, used for preserving the body for a time. The tomb
was shortly after closed. It is hardly to be doubted that the body of
the King had been arrayed in the same apparel as that exhibited on his
effigy[81].”
X. PRINCE ARTHUR, the eldest son of Henry VII., born at Winchester in
1486, died at Ludlow Castle April 2, 1502, and was brought to this
cathedral for interment. His chantry fills the whole bay on the south
side of the altar, and is a very rich example of late and elaborate
Gothic. [Plate II.] The sides are formed of open and closed panel-work,
enriched with figures and heraldic devices, among which occur the rose,
fetter-lock, and portcullis. The small figures, however, are rudely
executed, and have been greatly injured. Within, the chantry has a flat
groined roof, with curious flying supports. In the central panel are the
arms of the Prince, with stags as supporters. At the west end is a small
seated figure of Henry VII. The east wall is covered by a rich mass of
tabernacle-work, with niches. In the central niche is a small figure of
the Saviour on the Cross, with censing angels at the head. On either
side are figures of saints, one of which is apparently St. George. The
whole has been terribly shattered, but the details deserve attention. In
the centre of the chantry is the high tomb of the Prince, with shields
and armorial bearings in the side panels. There is no effigy.
XI. Passing out of the choir we ascend from the transept into the _south
choir-aisle_ by a flight of five steps, rendered necessary by the crypt
below. The aisle is of the same date and character as the choir, and an
Early English chapel, which, has been restored in the same manner as the
choir, opens from the two westernmost bays. The view into this chapel
from the south transept has already (§ VII.) been noticed. From within
the chapel the fine and lofty Norman arch, receding in three orders,
which opens to the
[Illustration: CHANTRY OF PRINCE ARTHUR.]
transept, is well seen. It is of late Norman character. A doorway in the
south wall, close to this arch, now opens to the apartments formerly
used as treasuries, over the narrow ‘slype’ or passage between the great
south transept and the chapter-house.
XII. A descent of five steps, indicating the termination of the crypt,
which extends only beneath the choir and its aisles, leads into the
_south-east transept_. The bay on the north side is filled by the screen
of Prince Arthur’s Chapel. The transept itself is Early English, of the
same general character as the choir. The northern bay is precisely
similar to the choir in the arrangement and design of its lower arches
(opening to the aisles east and west), the triforium, and clerestory.
The southern bay has its three sides pierced with two tiers of triple
lancet windows set back in the wall, with a passage through the jambs.
The inner arches are supported by clustered shafts of Purbeck marble,
ringed. An arcade, with sculptures in the spandrils, runs below the
windows. The vaulting is quadripartite, with bosses of leafage, of
unusual beauty, at the intersections.
The south, east, and west walls, with the windows of this transept, were
in so ruinous a condition before the late restoration, that it was found
necessary to take it entirely down. Every stone was marked, and it has
been rebuilt precisely as before. The sculptures in the spandrils of the
arcade were also much shattered, and those on the east side are in
effect modern works by Boulton of Worcester. They are, however, direct
reproductions of the old ones, as far as they could be deciphered. It
has been suggested, and apparently with truth, although the arrangement
is by no means clear, that the entire series was intended to represent
the life present, and that to come. Beginning at the north-west angle,
the subjects are--A bishop giving his benediction; knights fighting with
lions and centaurs, (the world and its temptations); St. Michael
weighing souls; demons torturing souls over flames, (purgatory); the
mouth of hell--demons drawing in souls. North side--Two figures carrying
a body, (the burial of Adam?); the expulsion from Paradise; an angel
dismissing souls to punishment(?). (From this point the figures look in
the opposite direction.) The Resurrection; the dead breaking their
coffin-lids; an angel sounding a trumpet; an angel bearing the cross;
the Saviour in judgment. East side--An angel with a trumpet; a seraph;
an angel with a lute; the coronation of the just(?); St. Gabriel with a
lily; St. Michael with the dragon; an angel bearing a crown.
The sculptures may be compared, for both design and execution, with
those on the west front of Wells Cathedral, which are nearly of the same
date. The imagery used here is not of so refined or dignified an order
as that at Wells, but the whole work deserves careful attention.
There is a piscina in the south wall, and aumbries remain in the walls
east and west.
XIII. Against the south wall of this transept, and connected with the
arcade in a remarkable manner, is the effigy of a knight, on a raised
tomb of comparatively recent date. The effigy is that of a knight of the
HARCOURT family, and belongs to the early part of the fourteenth
century. The armour is of ringed mail, with the exception of the poleyns
at the knees, which are of plate. The shield has the arms of
Harcourt--Gules, two bars or. The small brass plate below, with the
inscription “Ici gist sur Guilliamme de Harcourt,” is not coeval with
the effigy, which is slightly raised on the left side.
In the centre of the transept is a high tomb, of good character, from
which the brasses had been removed, for SIR GRYFFYTH RYCE, (died 1523).
The ancient inscription remains; and brasses by HARDMAN have taken the
places of the originals.
Inclosed within the screen-work of Prince Arthur’s chantry are two high
tombs, with effigies, which deserve especial attention. They are both
apparently of the same date, (early in the fourteenth century,) and have
been assigned, the westernmost to Bishop GIFFARD, (died 1302,) and the
eastern to AUDELA, wife of JOHN DE WARREN. The fronts of the tombs,
which are of Purbeck, have quatrefoiled compartments, in which are
sculptures, now much mutilated. Bishop GIFFARD’S effigy “represents the
chin close shaven. The mitre is ornamented with quatrefoiled and other
concavities, in which stones, glass, or paste have been set, to
represent jewels.” The square apparel of the amice in front of the
breast, the collar, and the episcopal boots, seem also to have been set
with stones. “The folds of the chasuble are well and tastefully
arranged[82].”
The effigy of AUDELA DE WARREN, “which is beautifully executed,
represents her in the veiled headdress, and the wimple or gorget, ...
the latter perhaps a sign of widowhood, leaving but a small portion of
the face visible. The veil is very tastefully disposed.... Over the gown
is worn a mantle, on the left side of which is a lozenge-shaped fermail,
to fasten the mantle in front, in a somewhat unusual fashion. The left
arm is gone; the right arm reclines on the breast, and in the hand is
held a string of prayer-beads, or, as they were anciently called, a pair
of paternosters, with larger ones at intervals; an early and singular
instance of their being thus represented, the beads being gracefully
disposed, and not hanging down formally. The feet rest against a whelp.
The admirable manner in which this effigy is treated is worthy of all
praise. The mantle and gown were formerly covered with painted shields,
representing the arms of Warren, Checky, argent and sable, and those of
Blanchminster, Argent, fretty gules[83].” Audela was the daughter and
heiress of Griffin de Blanchminster.
XIV. Immediately beyond the transept a good general view occurs of the
_retro-choir_ and Lady-chapel. The aisles extend to the end of the
retro-choir, which is three bays in depth. The Lady-chapel forms an
additional eastern bay. All this part of the cathedral is of the same
general design as the choir; but, as a result of the lower level, the
main arches are loftier than those of the choir, and a much finer effect
is consequently produced. Together with the eastern transepts, this part
of the church was, as has been already shewn, constructed before the
western end of the choir; and besides the difference of mouldings, it is
distinguished by the rich wall-arcade which runs round below the
windows. Bishop GIFFARD (1268-1302) is said to have ornamented the
columns “of the east part of the church” with brass rings, (which still
remain, occupying the usual place of stone bands in Early English
shafts,) but the main work was probably completed long before his
accession. The brass rings occur on the intermediate piers throughout
choir, presbytery, and Lady-chapel. Similar rings occur in Westminster
Abbey, (in that portion of the nave which contains the choir stalls,)
where they are probably of the same date as those at Worcester.
Professor Willis has shewn that the shafts in this cathedral were
originally fixed to the piers by iron cramps, such as may still be seen
in the church at Pershore; and that the brass rings were additions for
covering the joint[84].
The dog-tooth moulding does not occur in the arches of the retro-choir,
and there are some slight differences between the foliage of the
capitals in this part of the cathedral and of those in the choir. The
restoration has included this part of the church, and the sculptures in
the spandrils of the triforium (which were little more than shapeless
masses of stone) have been restored by Boulton, under the direction of
the architect.
The windows in the aisles are triple lancets, at the back of inner
arches, supported by slender shafts of Purbeck marble. The dilapidated
Perpendicular tracery with which the lights were filled has been
removed, leaving the windows in their original state. Under the windows
runs a wall-arcade resembling that already described in the transept,
with trefoiled arches, and sculptures in the spandrils. Many of these
have been restored, but all deserve careful notice. The subjects
are--masses of foliage; knights fighting with monsters; mystic animals,
such as the basilisk and cockatrice, and others described in early
bestiaries. In the north aisle is a bishop offering a church, and in the
south the Crucifixion. Nothing like a definite arrangement can be traced
throughout the series. The vaulting of both aisles is quadripartite,
with small bosses.
The east window of the north aisle has been filled with very good
stained glass by HARDMAN, in memory of the late Hon. and Rev. Canon
COCKS. That in the south aisle is a memorial of the Rev. ALLEN WHEELER,
B.D.
The _eastern bay_, in which stood the altar of the Lady-chapel, was
disfigured by a large debased window, inserted early in the present
century; and was, before the restorations, in a dangerous condition. It
was found necessary to rebuild the east wall entirely; and two tiers of
lancet lights, five in each tier, have been inserted, in strict keeping
with the architecture of all this part of the cathedral. Two lancets,
one above another, are placed in the north and south walls. A very
beautiful wall-arcade, of the same character as that in the aisles and
transepts, but more enriched, runs round below the windows. This is
entirely new, and the very good sculptures in the spandrils were
executed, under direction, by BOULTON of Worcester. The subjects at the
east end are--Isaiah; Abraham and Isaac; the selling of Joseph; the
brazen serpent; Jonah; and Jeremiah. Foliage and grotesques, copied from
the older spandrils, are repeated at the sides. The eastern lancets have
been filled with stained glass by HARDMAN, given to the cathedral by the
citizens of Worcester. In the central lower light is the Crucifixion;
above, the Ascension. A series of medallions, representing the principal
events in the life of our Lord, fill the remaining lancets. The glass is
very good, though perhaps a little thin in quality. The spandrils above
the lights in both tiers have been filled with sculpture by BOULTON;
chiefly figures of angels.
XV. On the north side of the chapel is a small mural slab, with flowers
at the sides and an urn above, for ANNE, wife of IZAAC WALTON, who no
doubt wrote the inscription, which is as follows:--“Ex terris ... M.S.
Here lyeth buried so much as could die of Anne, the wife of Isaac
Walton, who was a woman of remarkable prudence, and of the Primitive
Piety. Her great and generall knowledge being adorned with such true
humility, and blest with so much Christian meeknesse as made her worthy
of a more memorable monument. She died (alas that she is dead!) the 17th
of April, 1662, aged 52. Study to be like her.” The wife thus
commemorated was the sister of Bishop Ken. Walton himself survived until
1683, and was interred in Winchester Cathedral.
XVI. In the arcade of the south aisle are monuments for JOHN BANKS
JENKINSON, Bishop of St. David’s, who died at Malvern in 1840; and for
Prebendary DAVISON, Fellow of Oriel, who died in 1834, the author of a
well-known work on Prophecy. On the floor of this aisle is the recumbent
effigy of an _unknown lady_, of the fourteenth century. The head is
covered with a veil. “The folds of the gown are disposed with great
breadth, taste, and skill.... The feet rest against a whelp or dog. This
effigy is sculptured in high relief out of a slab somewhat
coffin-shaped, and is one of the most beautiful mediæval monumental
relics in the cathedral. It is indeed well worthy of artistic
study[85].” This effigy is not in its original position. The much
mutilated figure near it, also of the fourteenth century, was found
recently at the foot of the steps of the south-east transept.
At the back of the choir-screen, to which place it was removed within
the last century, is a high tomb with an effigy, which probably
represents the last Abbot of EVESHAM, Philip Ballard de Hawford, who
died between 1550 and 1558. The tomb is of earlier date. The Abbot, who
wears the _mitra preciosa_, is fully vested. The pastoral staff, placed
on the left side, is covered with the veil. The effigy is of alabaster.
On the floor, and immediately in front of the easternmost bay which
contained the altar of the Lady-chapel, are three episcopal effigies,
two of which are of much interest. The most northernly, which according
to Mr. Bloxam is the earliest episcopal effigy in the cathedral, is
assigned by him to Bishop WILLIAM OF BLOIS, (died 1236,) who laid the
foundation of this part of the church. “The effigy is sculptured in low
relief, on a coffin-shaped slab, and was probably set originally on the
stone coffin which contained the remains of the Bishop.... On the head
is the low mitre; about the neck is seen the amice. In front of the
breast, on the chasuble, is a lozenge-shaped ornament like a morse, in
which stones, glass, or paste have been inserted.” Under the chasuble
appears the alb, above which one of the fringed extremities of the stole
is visible. The maniple hangs on the left arm. The pastoral staff
crosses the body diagonally, from the left shoulder to the right foot.
On each side of the head is Early English foliage. The southernmost
effigy is assigned by Mr. Bloxam to Bishop WALTER DE CANTILUPE, who died
Feb. 12, 1266. It is sculptured in Purbeck marble, and represents the
Bishop with a moustache and beard, wearing the low mitre, the alb, the
stole, the dalmatic, and the chasuble. The amice is round the neck. “I
believe,” writes Mr. Bloxam, “this effigy to have been originally placed
as the lid to and on the stone coffin of Bishop Walter de Cantilupe, and
to have been sculptured and prepared during the lifetime of that
bishop. Great care has evidently been taken in its execution, and as a
specimen of the monumental sculpture of the middle of the thirteenth
century it is not without considerable merit[86].” A coffin, containing
the remains of a bishop in his episcopal vestments, in all probability
Walter de Cantilupe, was found in December, 1861, under the wall on the
north side of the choir, near the east end. On measuring this coffin,
and comparing it with the effigy described above, they were found to
correspond exactly. The central effigy, which is much mutilated, is
either that of Bishop BRIAN (died 1361) or Bishop LYNN (died 1373).
In the central bay of the _north_ aisle is the effigy of an _unknown
lady_, of the thirteenth century, and the earliest female effigy in the
cathedral. It “is not of much merit as a work of art, but if the lady is
here represented of the natural size, she must have been 6 ft. 3 in. in
height. I think, however, from the examination of not a few examples,
that many early sepulchral effigies were greatly exaggerated as to
size[87].” In the adjoining bay is the effigy (also 6 ft. 3 in. in
height) of an unknown _knight_, temp. Henry III. He wears mailed armour,
with the long surcoat over it.
XVII. The _north-eastern transept_ precisely resembles that opposite.
The windows have been rebuilt, and restored where necessary, but without
any alteration of the original design. The sculptures in the
wall-arcade are curious and interesting, but no principle of
arrangement is evident.
On a high tomb in the centre of the transept is a full-length figure, by
CHANTREY, of CHARLOTTE ELIZABETH, wife of the Rev. WILLIAM DIGBY, who
died in 1820. The sculpture is fine, but the design is scarcely
appropriate, and suffers infinitely when compared with the repose and
dignity of the earlier effigies in this cathedral.
Against the south wall of the transept, between it and the choir, under
a Decorated arch, is an effigy which has been ascribed to Bishop COBHAM,
(died 1337). “The head, which is mitred, reposes on a square double
cushion, supported by much mutilated figures of angels. The vestments,
consisting of the chasuble, dalmatic, tunic, and alb, are not well
defined[88].” Below this, “on a high tomb of the seventeenth century,
and under a pointed arch of the fourteenth century,” is an effigy
assigned to Bishop WULSTAN BRANSFORD, died 1349. He wears the chasuble,
the dalmatic, and the alb. “The chasuble is enriched with the orfrey, or
super-humerale, an ornament not unlike the archiepiscopal pall, hanging
down in front, and fringed at the lower extremity[89].”
XVIII. The _north choir-aisle_, of the same general character as that
opposite, has also been restored. The beauty of the capitals and bosses
of foliage is here especially noticeable. In the last bay toward the
west, on the west side of the window, and high in the wall, is a small
oriel window, of Perpendicular date, formerly communicating with the
sacrist’s lodgings. There is now no access whatever to it; but Norman
arches in the wall (evident from without) indicate the existence of a
sacrist’s chamber, and probably of a window afterwards replaced by that
now existing, before the rebuilding of the choir in the thirteenth
century. From the window the position of the great shrines at the head
of the choir was commanded, and it perhaps served as a watching-chamber.
In this aisle (removed from the south transept) is the monument of
Bishop MADDOX, (1743-1759,) who had “an exact knowledge of the
constitution of this national Church.”
XIX. In the easternmost bay of the south aisle of the nave a door (the
Prior’s entrance) opens to the _cloisters_. These are of Perpendicular
date, but their construction has not been recorded. They are (1866)
undergoing a complete restoration, externally and internally; and the
debased stone-work, inserted in the windows in 1762, has been removed.
The exterior was so dilapidated that an entire re-casing was necessary;
but the ancient details have been most carefully decyphered and
restored. Although very perfect, however, the cloisters are of no great
interest or beauty. The arrangement of the vaulting-shafts on the piers
between the windows should be noticed, as well as the flowing tracery on
the sides of the arches. The use of the squared openings in the piers,
on three sides of the cloisters, is quite uncertain, and Professor
Willis has suggested that it may have been a mere caprice of the
builder[90]. The vaulting of the cloisters is lierne, with bosses of
foliage. In the west walk the ancient lavatory remains.
In the north walk is the well-known sepulchral slab, with the single
word _Miserrimus_. This “most wretched one” was the Rev. THOMAS MORRIS,
Minor Canon of Worcester, and Vicar of Claines, about two miles north of
the city. At the Revolution he refused to take the oaths to William
III., and consequently lost his preferments. He was supported by the
richer Nonjurors, and in allusion to his destitute condition ordered
this single word to be engraved on his tomb-stone. The inscription thus
really intimates a very different feeling from that suggested in
Wordsworth’s sonnet:--
“ ... Himself alone
Could thus have dared the grave to agitate,
And claim, among the dead, this awful crown.
Nor doubt that he marked also for his own,
Close to these cloistral steps a burial place,
That every foot might fall with heavier tread,
Trampling upon his vileness. Stranger, pass
Softly!--To save the contrite, Jesus bled.”
XX. Although the cloisters are not in themselves of any unusual
interest, they afford one of the best illustrations remaining in England
of the manner in which the chief monastic buildings were grouped about
them. On the _east_ side is a passage formerly leading to the prior’s
house, and beyond it the chapter-house. On the _south_ side is the
refectory, now used as a school-room. On the _west_ side, close to the
lavatory in the wall, is the entrance to the _dormitory_, which has
itself been destroyed; and beyond again is a narrow passage (in which
are staircases communicating with the triforium of the nave, and with
the upper part of the dormitory) by which the west front of the church
was approached from the cloisters.
The _slype_, or arched passage in the east walk, is Norman, (with some
details, on the north side, of very early character,) and separates the
chapter-house from the south wall of the great transept. Between the
entrance to this passage and the chapter-house are two recesses in the
wall, which may be compared with those in a similar position at Norwich;
(see the Handbook for that Cathedral). Their original use is unknown.
The _chapter-house_ [Plate III.] is circular within, (as it was without
until the Perpendicular casing was added,) but is divided into ten bays
by vaulting-ribs which spring from a central column, and from shafts at
the sides. Without, the building is decagonal, with a buttress between
each bay. The lower part of the chapter-house, the central column, and
the vaulting, are transition Norman, of nearly the same date as the two
western bays of the nave. Early in the sixteenth century, however, a
Perpendicular window was inserted in the upper part of each bay, and the
exterior of the building was entirely cased with Perpendicular masonry.
The doorway
[Illustration: THE CHAPTER-HOUSE.]
opening from the cloisters is Perpendicular. A plain circular arcade,
slightly recessed, runs round the interior, above a stone bench. A
second arcade, of interlacing arches, covers the upper part of the wall,
and is surmounted by a stringcourse with the billet-moulding, the whole
being in alternate courses of grey and white stone. Above this are the
Perpendicular windows. The chapter-house has shared in the late
restoration.
XXI. At the end of the east walk of the cloisters is a passage under the
refectory, to the Close beyond. The _refectory_ (120 ft. long) extends
the whole length of the south walk. There is an entrance to it near the
south-west end. The lower part, or crypt, is early Norman; the room
above, a long parallelogram, is Decorated, of the reign of Edward III.
It is now used as the school-room of the “King’s school,” founded by
Henry VIII. after the dissolution of the priory.
In the west walk is the lavatory (Perpendicular), already mentioned, and
the entrance (Perpendicular) to the _dormitory_; this, like the
refectory, was a long parallelogram. The foundations of the walls have
been traced, and portions of a row of columns (Perpendicular) which ran
down the centre of the undercroft.
At the north-west angle of the cloister is the monks entrance to the
cathedral. The cloister terminates nearly in a line with the third bay
of the nave. Parallel with the last two, or transition Norman bays, is a
narrow arched and vaulted passage, also transition Norman, of very good
character, with a doorway of the same date at the western end. On the
south side of this passage there is a staircase which led to the
dormitory, and at the north-west angle one which leads to the triforium
of the south aisle of the nave.
Beyond this passage a view is obtained of the very plain _west front_,
with its Norman portals and modern Decorated window.
XXII. On the _north side_ of the cathedral, between the north porch and
the west front, stood the “Carnerie,” or charnel-house chapel, built by
Bishop William de Blois in the thirteenth century, and demolished in
1677. The crypt is still remaining, although no trace of it is visible
above ground. The two transition Norman bays on this side had apparently
shewn signs of weakness in the Perpendicular period, when the existing
flying buttresses were erected. A third occurs between the two
transepts, and close beyond it is the entrance to the _crypt_. [Plate
IV.]
This is by no means the least interesting portion of the cathedral,
since it is unquestionably the work of WULFSTAN, and the only part of
the building which can be assigned to him. In 1084 Wulfstan began the
rebuilding of the monastery, and in 1094 he held a synod in the crypt of
the cathedral, “which he had built from the foundation.” This was no
doubt the existing crypt, which extends under the choir and its aisles.
The main piers, which are solid masses of masonry, stand immediately
below those in the choir. In the central division of the crypt, the
vaulting is carried on three rows of pillars, with plain cushioned
capitals and
[Illustration: THE CRYPT.]
square abaci. There are also semi-detached shafts, of similar character,
connected with the main piers on either side. In the aisles of the crypt
the vaulting springs from semi-detached shafts on either side, and rests
on a single row of columns in the centre. The east end of the central
division (which remains entire) is apsidal; and the curious and
intricate arrangement of the vaulting at this point (arising “from the
complicated slopes which had to be adjusted there”) should be especially
noticed. The aisles of the crypt terminate at present nearly at the bend
of the apse, but they were originally carried quite round it, so as to
form a circular procession-path. “There are but four apsidal crypts in
England, which in chronological order are,--Winchester (1079), Worcester
(1084), Gloucester (1089), and Canterbury (1096). In all these the side
aisles run completely round the apse. Amongst them, Worcester is
remarkable for the multiplicity of small pillars employed to sustain the
vaults. The side aisle has a row of small pillars running along the
centre, which are not employed in the other examples. The central
portion has three rows of intermediate pillars, whereas Gloucester and
Canterbury have but two rows, and Winchester but one. Yet the width of
the central crypt of Worcester is less than the others. The increased
number of pillars, by diminishing the span of the arches, and dividing
the weight of the vault upon so many supports, enables the diameters of
the pillars to be reduced, and gives greater lightness to the
architecture. For the height of all these crypts is nearly the same; so
that at Winchester and Gloucester the arches are flattened into
ellipses, the pillars are low and squat, and the crypts appear as
sepulchral vaults; while at Worcester, where the arches are semicircular
and the pillars more slender, the crypt is a complex and beautiful
temple[91].” It has been compared to the mosque (now the cathedral) of
Cordova. We may re-people this crypt in imagination with the venerable
abbots and priests of the synod convened by Wulfstan[92].
It is probable that small apsidal chapels flanked the crypt at its
western termination, on both sides. On the south side such a chapel
still exists, immediately under that which opens from the south aisle of
the choir. The western, and part of the southern, wall of this chapel is
Norman, as are the central pillars. The square eastern end, however, is
Early English, of the same date as the chapel above it.
In the crypt are preserved the ancient north doors of the cathedral,
removed about the year 1820. They date from the fourteenth century, and
are coeval with Bishop Wakefield’s work. These doors are said to have
been covered with human skin. Tradition asserts that a man who stole the
sanctus-bell from the high altar was flayed alive for the sacrilege; and
portions of skin, which the late Mr. Quekitt, Assistant Conservator of
the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons, declared to be human,
remain fixed to the inside of the doors, under the iron-work.
The west doors of Rochester Cathedral, and the north doors of Hadstock
and Copford Churches, both in Essex, were also covered with skins, said
to have been those of piratical Northmen. The Rochester doors have
entirely disappeared. Those of Copford have been removed, but portions
of them are still in existence. The doors of Hadstock Church remain in
place. Fragments of skin from Hadstock and Copford were examined by Mr.
Quekitt, who pronounced it human in both cases[93].
XXIII. The great Norman tower fell in 1175, “a circumstance of such
common occurrence that there is some evidence against a tower being
Norman work if it had not fallen down[94].” The existing _central tower_
dates from 1374, but the general design alone remained before its
restoration (still, 1866, in progress) was commenced. The soft sandstone
of which it is built had crumbled away to such an extent, that all the
details had perished. The tower, which is 196 ft. in height, is of good
proportion. It was by no means improved by the modern parapet and
pinnacles which were placed on it in the last century, and somewhat
altered in the early part of this. A new peal of ten, or possibly twelve
bells will be hung in the tower after its complete restoration.
Close beyond the north-east transept stood an octangular “clocherium,”
or bell-tower, which was taken down in 1647. It was of very early
character. The east end of the cathedral has been rebuilt, as already
described, (§ XIV.,) by Mr. Perkins. The walls of the south-east
transept have also been rebuilt, and its very fine buttresses with open
turrets deserve special notice. A little west of this transept, and
between it and the chapter-house, are the remains of the _Guesten Hall_.
This was a very fine hall of the fourteenth century, built for the
entertainment of noble guests of the priory and of the more illustrious
pilgrims to the shrine of St. Wulfstan. Like “La Gloriole” at
Canterbury, and the guest-chambers of other great monasteries, it
closely adjoined the prior’s lodgings. These were assigned to the Dean
on the creation of the Dean and Chapter after the dissolution, and the
Guesten Hall formed part of the deanery until 1842, when the
Ecclesiastical Commissioners made over the episcopal palace to the Dean,
and the former deanery was pulled down. The Guesten Hall was then
disclosed, and attracted much attention, not only from its own beauty,
but as a very interesting historical relic. It was, however, much out of
repair, and a considerable sum would no doubt have been required to
effect its restoration. Accordingly, in 1860, the greater part of it was
pulled down, and the roof was given by the Dean and Chapter to a new
church which it is proposed to erect in the city of Worcester.
The Guesten Hall was commenced in 1320 by Wulstan Bransford, then prior
of the monastery, and afterwards Bishop of Worcester. The beauty of the
Decorated tracery, which still remains in the windows, calls for
especial notice; and the oaken roof was a very fine example. It is
evident that nothing but absolute necessity could justify the
destruction of such a relic. “This magnificent guest-chamber of the
fourteenth century was an historical monument of considerable
importance, as shewing the splendid hospitality of the clergy of those
days, and as illustrating in a remarkable manner the manners and customs
of the time of Edward III. It was the last of these structures that we
had remaining, and with it we have erased a chapter out of the history
of England[95].”
XXIV. The College Green, on the south side of the cathedral, is entered
through an archway under the _Edgar tower_, which tradition asserts to
have been erected by Ethelred II., son of Edgar. It may possibly occupy
the site of an older building, but the present tower is late work, and
of little interest. In a niche on the east front is a much shattered
figure of King Edgar. The rooms in the tower are now used as the chapter
library, and as offices of the diocesan registry. Among the MSS. of the
chapter library is one of great interest--An Epitome of Roman Law by
Vacarius, an Italian who was brought to this country by Theobald,
Archbishop of Canterbury, and who introduced the study of Roman or
“Civil” Law at Oxford in the reign of Stephen. This is the only copy of
the work of Vacarius known to exist in England, and only four copies are
known on the continent--in the libraries of Konigsberg, Prague, and
Bruges, and one in the possession of the Emperor of Russia[96].
The _deanery_, north-west of the cathedral, was the episcopal palace
until 1842. It contains a fine hall, and some ancient portions. The east
front was built by Bishop Hough in 1723.
WORCESTER CATHEDRAL.